Hurricane Watch

Chapter

Sixteen

KERRY WAS GLAD it was light out. She was tired, and she knew her reflexes were suffering, but the traffic was very light. ”Right turn up there?” She asked softly, her eyes flicking to her companion.

Dar nodded.

Kerry was worried. Dar had been withdrawn since she’d gotten back into the car, allowing her head to rest against the glass of the window, her reflection bleakly evident to Kerry’s watching eyes. A little hesitantly, she reached over and folded her hand over Dar’s, encouraged when the long fingers tightened over hers immediately.

”You okay?”

”Yeah,” Dar sighed. ”Just tired.” She turned her head and studied Kerry’s profile. ”I think I need a nap.”

Kerry glanced at her. ”Me too,” she confessed. ”My hand’s aching from this cold. How’s your knee?”

Dar waggled her free hand and grimaced.

Kerry waited a beat, then took a breath. ”That woman still bothering you?”

The jaw muscles along Dar’s face clenched, then relaxed. ”It...she just brought up some old, bad memories, that’s all.”

”Mm. ” Kerry waited, but nothing else came. ”Anything you want to share?”

Dar thought about that a long time, as rows of damp, gray shadowed trees went past them. ”I...” She stopped, then cleared her throat. ”I never...I’ve never really talked about any of that with anyone before. Maybe a pair of friendly ears would help.”

The corners of Kerry’s mouth crinkled up, as she guided the car carefully across the slick road and up a long driveway, where a sign announced the presence of the hotel where they were staying. ”I think that could be arranged.” She pulled the car up under the valet parking overhang, and put it in park. ”C’mon.”

Dar willingly followed her up the stairs, shouldering her overnight bag and giving the valet a brief smile as Kerry turned the keys over to him. They approached the desk, and Dar gave her name quietly to the desk clerk. “We were supposed to check in last night, but...”

”Yes, Ms. Roberts. Your office called and told us.” The woman smiled at her. ”We held the room. It’s no problem, and um...” she Hurricane Watch

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chuckled a little, ”I think you have a little surprise waiting up there.”

Dar and Kerry exchanged wary glances. ”A surprise?” Dar asked.

”What kind of surprise?”

The woman smiled cheerfully at her. ”Now, if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, but don’t worry. It’s nothing bad.” She handed over the room keys. ”Here you go. We have room service available twenty four hours, and you’re on the concierge floor, so you can just ask as you get off the elevator if you need anything.”

Dar sighed. ”Thanks.” She took the key and gave Kerry hers, then followed the smaller woman as they went to the elevator. ”I hate surprises,” she groused.

Kerry patted her belly tolerantly. ”C’mon, Dar. It’s probably a fruit basket,” she scolded her boss. ”Would you relax? All the hotels do that for VIP’s nowadays.”

”Mmph.” Dar leaned back against the elevator wall and tried to stifle a yawn. ”Yeah, I guess.” She waited for the doors to open then pushed off the back wall and trudged through them, giving the wide eyed concierge a nod before moving past his desk.

Their room was on a corner, and Dar pushed the keycard in, then pulled it out, turning the handle when the light flashed. She shoved the door open.

The scent of chocolate hit them and stopped them both in their tracks. ”Whoa,” Dar got out, as she flipped the lights on.

It was a large room, with a wide window and one big, comfortable looking bed. A door to one side led to a bathroom, and one on the other side to a tiled Jacuzzi. In front of them was a round table, which was currently covered with a huge, completely stuffed, overflowing basket of assorted things of the species chocolate. Dar found herself staring at it with a stupid grin. ”Oo.”

Kerry peeked past her. ”Thought you didn’t like surprises?” she commented, giving her boss a slap on the behind as she moved past her to put her bag down.

”Tell you what, anytime you want to surprise me with fifty pounds of chocolate, you go right ahead,” Dar responded, plucking the card from the ornate holder and examining it. ”It’s from Alastair.”

”Gee.” Kerry grinned. ”What a surprise.” She came over and peeked at the card. ”That’s really sweet of him.”

”Well.” Dar poked into the basket’s contents. ”Considering we just saved his gray flannel butt, it’s not unprecedented.” She glanced at Kerry. ”There were twelve major accounts on the line if we hadn’t gotten that stuff working this morning.”

Kerry stopped dead, and stared at her. ”Why didn’t you tell me that?” she asked, stung.

Dar glanced at the table top, and fiddled with the card. ”No sense in both of us being worried sick, I guess. I don’t know. I should have.”

She gave Kerry a contrite look. ”Not that you could have done more 212

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than you were doing.” She paused awkwardly. ”I’m sorry.”

Kerry gave her a vexed look. ”No, but it would explain why you were so damned tense.” She started to go on, then saw the almost imperceptible flinch in Dar’s face. Not now, Kerry. Her mind warned her. Not now. She’s tired, you’re tired, and she apologized for not saying anything. Just drop it. ”Jesus, Dar, tell me next time, huh? So I can chew my nails along with you?” She gave her boss a lopsided grin.

Dar relaxed a little. ”I will,” she promised, stripping off her jacket and hanging it up in the small closet. ”Wonder how long it’ll take us to get through that basket.” She turned a grin of her own on Kerry.

The blonde woman gazed at the huge thing in trepidation. ”I think we’ll get sick to our stomachs if we try,” she commented wryly, taking off her own jacket and tugging her shirt out from her jeans. ”He must have worked pretty fast. It’s not even nine o'clock.”

”Well.” Dar pulled off her sneakers and tossed them near her bag, then slipped her sweatshirt over her head, dropping it neatly on the chair before unbuttoning her flannel shirt and removing it. ”If I could get seventy T1 circuits and routers installed before dawn, I guess he could handle a basket of chocolate.”

She leaned back and stretched, wincing as both shoulders popped before she straightened and ran her fingers through her hair, rubbing the back of her neck. ”God, I’m tired,” she admitted. ”I’m glad that’s over. We can rest here until dinnertime, then drive up to the cabin. It’s about an hour from here, and it looked like the weather’s clearing a little.”

”Sounds good to me.” Kerry ambled over to her, already having shed her pants and half unbuttoned her shirt, while she worked on unfastening Dar’s jeans. Her fingers slid easily under the waistband, and she unhooked the first button, letting her thumbs trace the ripple of muscles just under the skin. She leaned forward and gently kissed the soft skin, feeling the ribs move under her lips in an uneven breath.

The room’s air was cool against her skin as Dar peeled her shirt off.

Dar’s hands slid slowly down her arms, then released them and moved across her ribcage, causing a jolt of pure sensation as the wandering fingers brushed over her breasts. ”Thought you were tired, ” Kerry burred, nuzzling her face against a soft curve.

”The smell of all that chocolate must have woken me up,” Dar replied, catching a thin fold of skin between her teeth and nibbling it gently. ”Thought you were tired?”

Kerry undid the second button and moved lower, tracing the edge of her lover’s navel, then working up to the tip of her breastbone. ”I wish I could blame it on the chocolate,” she murmured, inhaling greedily. ”But it’s not that smell that’s giving me these goose bumps.”

”Mm, yeah, lookit that.” Dar’s fingertip made a lazy trail across her shoulder, then her lips traced the same path, as her body woke fully, forgetting about the long night and the frustrations of the day. Even the Hurricane Watch

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last, haunting echoes of the past caused by Shari’s appearance faded, replaced by the solid, comforting present now wrapped around her body. She stepped out of her jeans, finding herself being tugged towards the bed, and she gladly tumbled into it, her arms full of warm, bare skin.

Kerry rolled her over, and pounced on top of her, ending up with Dar’s earlobe lightly caught between neat white teeth. ” You let me know, ” she whispered in a muffled tone, ”when I start squashing you, okay?”

Dar chuckled low in her throat, and gave her a pat on the butt. ”Not a problem. I hardly feel it.” Which wasn’t quite true, but close enough.

She stretched and wrapped her legs around Kerry’s, and surrendered herself to a pleasant wave of passion.

THE PHONE RANG, dragging Kerry out of a sound sleep. She fumbled the receiver off the hook, managing to get it somewhere near her ear. ”Yeah?” she cleared her throat. ”I’m sorry. I mean hello?”

”Hey,” Mark’s voice echoed weirdly. ”Kerry?”

She pulled her wits around her, gently moving away from Dar’s warm body. ”Eyah. I’m here. Go on,” she paused. ”Mark?” A glance at the clock told her it was close to four p.m., and she rubbed her eyes, having been startled out of a weird, but interesting dream.

”Dar there?” Mark inquired.

Kerry glanced down at the long, powerful arm circling her stomach and grinned quirkily. ”She’s here. She’s sleeping. What’s up?”

”Oh, nothing really. Um, she should probably, uh, check her email when she gets a chance, ”Mark said, innocently. ”You know, nothing urgent.”

”Actually, I was going to ship the laptops back to Miami. I was hoping for a few days without them,” Kerry admitted. ”Is it something important, Mark?”

He chuckled softly ”Nah, Sunday night’ll be fine. She just might want to check it before Monday morning, though.” A rattle of keystrokes. ”By the way, you guys are furking big time no shit heroes around here today.”

”I bet.” Kerry let herself back down onto the pillow, and snuggled back against Dar, who immediately hugged her closer. ”Mm.”

”What was that?” Mark asked.

”Uh, I was just agreeing.” Kerry mentally slapped herself. ”Well, I’m glad everyone’s happy about it. I guess there’ll be one huge meeting on Monday, though, huh?” She sighed. ”That’ll be a trip. I can just imagine the arguments.”

Mark chuckled. ”Uh, well, yeah. It’s certainly going to be quite a Monday,” he agreed. ”Listen, you guys have a great time up there, okay? Relax, take it easy, unwind a little.”

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Kerry yawned. ”Will do. I’ll bring you back some maple syrup or pecans or whatever the heck they have up here.” She listened to the laughter, then hung up, and allowed her body to sink back down into the warm pit she’d been resting in, while she sleepily regarded the quiet, peaceful room.

Dar was really out, she knew, glancing back over her shoulder. Dar had fallen asleep after they’d made love, and had hardly moved an inch in the intervening hours. Kerry debated going back to sleep herself, then realized they’d have to start moving around shortly if they wanted to get up to the cabin.

”First things first,” she decided, reaching for the phone. ”The only thing we’ve both eaten in the last twenty four hours just about is a half dozen Snowballs and a gallon of coffee. Even Dar can’t live on that.”

”Sure I can,” the soft mumble tickled her ear. ”That’s, what, two of the food groups, right?”

”Shh.” Kerry dialed the phone, after checking a card on the dresser.

”Hi, this is, oh, you know what my room number is, great,” she said, as someone answered. ”I see you’ve got pizzas? Okay, can I have two small.” She got a poke in the ribs. ”Um, sorry, two medium pizzas, one a vegetable combo, the other with...” She gave Dar a look. ”sausage, and pepperoni on it.” Another poke. Kerry sighed. ”And extra cheese.”

Dar grinned, and nuzzled the back of her neck.

”Thanks, and a pitcher of iced tea, please. Excuse me? Oh, yes, no, that’ll be fine.” Kerry finished ordering and hung up, then squirmed around in Dar’s arms and regarded her fondly. ”Mark says we’re heroes.”

”I bet,” Dar responded sleepily, her eyes still closed. ”Guess we gotta get moving, huh?”

”Mm.” Kerry idly traced a tiny scar on her lover’s chin. ”You said you wanted to get up there before dark.” She watched as Dar’s eyelids fluttered open, revealing her startlingly blue eyes, and allowing Kerry to gaze into them.

To drown in them. Slowly, she leaned forward and kissed Dar lightly on the forehead, then hugged her, unable to either define, or explain the suddenly overwhelming sense of devotion and connection she felt.

This was just so precious, she wanted to cradle it gently in her hands, and never let it go. Dar’s hand smoothed the back of her hair in a familiar gesture, and she let herself sink into the embrace, feeling a resonance chime deep inside her.

”Hey,” Dar whispered softly, a worried tone in her voice. ”You all right?”

Kerry nodded mutely, breathing in the scent of Dar’s skin. The feeling subsided, leaving her only conscious of a pervasive warmth that she could almost feel running between them, leaving her body and entering Dar’s, and coming back again. ”Yeah, yeah, I’m fine ” She took Hurricane Watch

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a deep breath and let it out, aware of the beating heart under her ear.

”Just felt like hugging you, that’s all.”

The long fingers slid down the side of her neck and lifted her chin, and she had no choice but to look up at Dar, knowing she was wide open to her, and helpless, tears edging wetly around her eyes.

”What’s wrong?” Dar asked softly, capturing a tear with one thumb, and gazing at her anxiously. ”Did something happen?

Did...wh... ”

She felt Dar’s heartbeat pick up under the fingers she had pressed against her chest. ”N...nothing. I...I don’t know. I just, it got really intense there for a minute. I’m not really sure why, maybe I’m just overtired.” She put her head back down and stroked Dar’s side gently, needing the touch. ”Felt so weird.”

Blue eyes now alert flicked over her, as Dar took in a careful breath and released it. ”Well, I mean, it felt kinda nice,” she offered, hesitantly.

”Kinda warm,” She started stroking Kerry’s hair again, and felt the smaller woman relax against her completely, her body going totally limp. They stayed like that for almost a half an hour more, until Dar glanced at the clock and stirred, regretfully. ”Better put a shirt on, don’t want to shock the room service person when they get here.”

Kerry's eyes drifted open, pale green in the late afternoon light.

”Hmm, you’re right,” she agreed peacefully, rolling onto her back and stretching her body out lazily, humming low in her throat as Dar took the opportunity to trace a gentle path from her neck to her groin.

“Thought you said we have to get up,” she drawled softly, giving Dar a look from half closed eyes.

Dar released a half grin, and inclined her head in agreement. ”We’ll have plenty of time later,” she conceded, then she planted a hand on either side of Kerry and pressed her body over her lover’s, landing neatly on the carpeted floor, straightening with a fluid motion. ”Guess I get to open the door,” she commented, as a soft knock was heard.

Kerry was too busy getting her eyeballs around her lover’s sunset lit body to hear. ”Uh, what?” She blinked, then tugged the covers up as Dar slipped into her shirt, buttoning it up and managing to be decent by about two inches. ”Uh, Dar, don’t bend over to pick anything up, okay?”

Pale blue eyes glanced over one tanned shoulder at her, and one of them winked. ”Okay.”

”Unless you’re facing away from me, of course,” Kerry added impishly, just as Dar opened the door.

That got her an over the shoulder look, complete with an elegantly raised eyebrow.

”Hi.” Kerry smiled at the short, tow haired, frazzled looking room service waiter. ”You can just put that down next to the fifty pounds of chocolate we’re going to have for dessert, thanks.”

Muddy brown eyes went to her, then to the table, then back to her.

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The scraggly moustache drooped as he chewed it nervously. ”Uhm, ma’am, ah don’t think I can put this tray down.”

”Here.” Dar slipped up behind him and lifted the basket out of the way, coming perilously close to breaking several county ordinances.

”G’wan, put it down,” she drawled, low in her throat.

He would have been all right if he hadn’t tried to pull up his trousers and put down his tray at the same time. Dar managed to save the pizza, by hastily dropping the basket and making a grab, but the ice tea evaded her, and it smacked the hapless waiter in the chest, sending ice cubes flying across the room. The waiter juggled the carafe, sending himself off balance until Dar braced a muscular thigh up against the chair and pinned him in place with her knee.

”You all right?” the executive demanded, setting the pizza trays down.

The man’s eyes dropped slowly down her to where the long, sinewy length of her leg was braced against him, then they rolled peacefully back up into his head as he dropped like a rock.

Stunned silence fell for an instant. ”What in the hell?” Dar complained.

Kerry pulled the covers up over her head and burst into laughter.

IT WAS JUST getting dark when they pulled up a long, sloping road to the quiet retreat Dar had chosen. It was off the main streets, and up into the mountains away from city lights. Dar pulled the car up to the low roofed main building, and turned the engine off. ”Well, we made it.”

Kerry was peering out the window, studying the peaceful scene with interest. Scattered up and down the hilly ground, tucked into alcoves and shrouded with trees were small cabins, neatly cedared paths leading the way towards each one. ”Yep, we sure did, though I was wondering there for a minute, after we had to revive your liveried friend at the hotel.”

”Hey, it’s not my fault he couldn’t take the sight of a little skin,”

Dar objected, mildly.

”A little?” Kerry giggled. ”Your leg was longer than his body, Dar.

I’m glad we tipped him all right, though.” She returned her attention to the outside. ”Mm.”

In the distance, she could see larger buildings and the lodge they were parked in front of, where yellow light poured from the windows and painted gilded stripes across the lightly frosted ground. ”Wow, this is nice,” she finally said, giving her companion a smile. ”C’mon.” She opened the car door, starting a little as the cold, pine laden air hit her in the face. ”Brr.”

Dar smiled and popped the trunk, then exited the driver’s side and closed the door, walking around to the back to get their bags. A warmly Hurricane Watch

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jacketed valet appeared, and she tossed the keys to him, then shouldered the two bags and evaded Kerry’s attempt to retrieve hers.

”Ah, ah, I got it.” She waved Kerry on and chuckled as the blonde woman swept the door open, and bowed her inside. ”Why thank you, ma’am.”

They entered the lodge, which was a long building that dog legged to the right past the reception desk. Sounds from the other side of the building indicated some kind of restaurant, and Kerry could see a dimly lit bar just ahead, half filled with shadowy forms. They walked up to the desk, and Dar quietly gave her name to the clerk.

”Ah yes, Ms. Roberts. My goodness, we haven’t seen you here in a long time.” The clerk smiled and looked up, pushing a pair of half glasses up onto her nose. ”I swear, you haven’t changed a bit.”

Dar smiled politely at the compliment. ”Thanks, Millie. Hard to believe you remembered me.”

A salt and pepper eyebrow lifted at her. ”You’re pretty memorable, I’ll have you know. We reserved the far cabin for you, since you said you wanted some quiet space.” She glanced up at Kerry. ”And you’ve brought a guest this time, how wonderful. Welcome. Ms. Stuart, is it?”

”Kerry.” She extended a hand across the counter. ”Nice to meet you. This place looks fantastic.”

Millie laughed. ”Well, we like to think so. We’ve been here for over fifty years.” She folded a packet together, then handed Dar a pair of keys. ”Here you go. Do you remember the way, or do you want me to have Charles take you over?”

Dar paused, then exhaled. ”I remember the way, thanks Millie.”

She looked over towards the back of the room. ”What’s the special tonight?”

The gray haired woman laughed. ”Just your luck. It’s roast beef.”

Dar chuckled. ”Just my luck,” she repeated, then gently bumped Kerry. ”C’mon, let’s go change, then I’ll show you around. They’ve got a nice fireplace just inside.”

”Lead on,” Kerry remarked cheerfully, as she followed, her eyes watching everything with interest. This, she considered, was going to be great. Dar knew the place, and it held some good memories, Kerry decided, just from the childlike grin that kept trying to break through on her companion’s face.

They'd have time to relax, and just talk, something that had been rare since... Jesus. Kerry thought about it. They hadn’t really had time away without any distractions since that trip to Disney World. Even at home, there was always work, and the calls in the middle of the night, and complications.

But not here. They’d left their laptops locked in the trunk, and after a bit of convincing on her part, both pagers as well. ”Colleen has the number up here in an emergency,” she’d argued. And so does Mark, but they both know not to use it unless the world is coming to an end.”

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Dar had thought a moment, then shrugged, and relinquished the electronic device. ”Okay.”

Now, Kerry tugged up her collar as she followed Dar out the front door and down a path which sloped a little downward, her sneakers crunching softly on the cedar chips that lined it. ”Mm.” The air was sweet and rich with the scent of cold and pine, and the wood she was walking on. ”This is great.”

In the semi darkness, the sudden glitter of Dar’s eyes was startling.

”Glad you like it,” she drawled. ”I used to spend semester breaks up here. It’s not an expensive place, but it’s family run. Millie’s husband is ex navy.”

Kerry nodded, looking around. ”It looks like it’s well cared for,”

she commented. ”They seem to know you pretty well.” She glanced up, seeing the quiet smile on Dar’s face. ”When was the last time you were here?”

The smile vanished. ”Christmas, a few years back,” came the quiet answer. ”I’d just broken up with Elana. I guess I needed some time out.”Kerry tucked a hand around her arm as the walked along. ”Well, I hope you’ll have better memories from this visit,” She commented mildly. ”We had a place out off the lake we used to go to in the summers, it was a little like this.” She took a breath, aware of Dar’s intense concentration on her words. ”It was supposed to be a family vacation, but it was usually a circus. I mean, people coming and going, deals, the press, you know.”

”Mm,” Dar agreed, leading her down a fork in the path.

”Sailing was my favorite thing to do, but as we got older, my mother made sure there really wasn’t much time for that. She had parties and whatever, kept us going from summer estate to summer estate, talking to people I didn’t have much in common with, even then.” She sighed. ”And dressing up, that was always a trial. Me and Angie paraded in front of her and usually my aunt, to make sure we looked all right.”

”Doesn’t sound like much fun, ” Dar remarked, as they came up to a small, tree shrouded cabin with a wooden porch. ”Closest I ever came to that was my mother making sure the rips in my jeans weren’t going to get me arrested in some of the more rural counties down there.” She put a hand on Kerry’s back as they mounted the three low stairs, the wood echoing lightly under their steps. ”I always liked this one.” She turned and nodded. ”Nice view.”

Kerry also turned, and gasped a little, faced with a beautiful moonlit lake, reflecting a canopy of brilliant stars. ”Oh my god, yes.”

She let out a delighted laugh. ”It’s wonderful, Dar.” She turned and poked her companion. ”Very romantic. Is this where you always bring special friends?”

Dar gazed at her, a little sadly. ”No, you’re the first.” She turned Hurricane Watch

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and continued across the porch, opening the door and gesturing her inside. ”I always used this as a very private retreat. I never considered bringing anyone else here before.”

”Mm.” Kerry ducked inside without further comment, flipping the light switch found just inside the door. ”Oh.” She blinked in surprise.

”This is really nice.” The cabin was mostly one large room, with a neatly made bed against the far wall under a window, covered in a thick comforter in shades of crimson and navy. There were Indian patterned throw rugs on the floor, and one, a thick sheepskin, resided in front of the small fireplace. A garment press stood against the wall, and a doorway led to a luxurious bathroom, complete with a sunken hot tub surrounded by warmly weathered wood. ”Oh, I think I like this.”

Dar chuckled softly. ”Oh yeah, that comes in handy after a day of horseback riding, especially if you’re not used to it. Trust me.” She put their bags down on the bed, and looked around. Hadn’t changed, she mused, walking over to the window and peering out at the silent, gently murmuring lake.

”Ah...” Kerry was exploring the counter against the back wall. ”I see we have the essentials, coffee, cookies, and hot chocolate. ” She investigated the supplies. ”Cups and, let’s see, tea bags, oh, and little muffins. This is really cute, Dar.”

The dark haired woman tossed a stuffed bag down next to her.

”Well, we can add our little stash here.” She grinned, her good humor restored. ”Never thought we’d fit all that chocolate in there.”

Kerry snorted, and lifted the bag up. ”I can’t believe we brought it all. We’re going to get sick on it.” She sniffed at the bag. ”Mm. On the other hand...” The rich scent was alluring, and she sighed. ”Later.

Dinner first?”

”Sounds good to me,” Dar agreed. ”Those pizzas were tiny.”

”What pizzas, oh, those. Right.” Kerry slipped out of her sweatshirt and pulled a heavier sweater over her head, settling the edge over her jeans. ”Yeah, good thing I didn’t order smalls. We could have used them as drink coasters.”

”Could have used them as that anyway,” Dar complained, changing into a thick sweater of her own, and rubbing her hands. ”It’s cold here, Kerry.”

The blonde woman turned, putting down the brush she’d been pulling through her hair. She walked over, took Dar’s hands into hers and pressed them against her body. ”Aw, my poor little hothouse flower.” She giggled at the blue eyes widened in outrage. ”You Southerners. Talk about thin blooded. We’ll have to get you some mittens.” She gently kissed Dar’s fingers. ”Thank you for inviting me up here, by the way.”

Dar smiled at her, obviously charmed. ”I’m glad you like it.”

”Here, bend down.” Kerry released one hand and recaptured her brush, running it through Dar’s dark locks to bring some order to them.

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The silky strands crackled with the dry air, and clung to the brush, winding themselves around her hands as well. ”Ack, one nice thing about Miami, you don’t get this much.” She patiently untangled herself, meeting the watching blue eyes with a grin as she fluffed the usually disheveled bangs. ”Your hair would look pretty in braids. Want to try them tomorrow?”

Dar blinked at her, obviously surprised at the question. ”Um, sure.” She straightened as Kerry finished. ”If I can do yours.” She gently tucked the blonde hair back into a tail, studying the effect.

Kerry smiled, loving the feel of Dar’s fingers in her hair, as they brushed against her sensitive scalp. ”You’re on,” she agreed happily.

”It’s a vacation, right? We can do whatever we want.”

”Yep.” Dar put an arm over her shoulder, and nudged her towards the door. ”C’mon, they’ve got some really good roast beef.”

”Oh yeah?” Kerry obligingly slipped an arm around her waist.

”With gravy?”

”Uh huh, and killer mashed potatoes,” Dar promised. ”And homemade ice cream for dessert.”

Kerry let out a little moan. ”Uh oh. I’m in trouble,” she lamented.

”I’m a sucker for homemade ice cream.”

”Yeah, me too,” Dar agreed sheepishly. ”But it’s vacation, remember?”

”Mm, good point. How much trouble can we get into in two days, anyway?”

“DAR?” KERRY’S VOICE floated out of the darkness, as they made their way back after dinner. It had gotten colder, and the sky seemed razor sharp, the inky blackness drenched in pinpoints of light so numerous you could hardly see the constellations.

”Yeah?” The taller woman ambled along contentedly, sucking on a mint.”If I explode, is that covered under worker’s comp?” Kerry asked idly. ”God, that was good. That chef is positively dangerous.”

”Don’t explode,” Dar objected. ”Do you have any idea the amount of paperwork I’d have to fill out if I had an employee explode on a business trip? I’d have to spend hours and hours in CAS.” She paused, and moved her mint from one side of her mouth to the other. ”Not to mention having to explain to Mari how I, a responsible corporate officer, allowed such a thing to happen.”

”Allowed?” Kerry snorted. ”You were feeding me maraschino cherries, you fink. You aided and abetted.”

A soft chuckle. ”Hmm, that’s true. Maybe I could claim I was performing research and development.” She slipped an arm around Kerry and ducked her head, kissing her gently. ”So, we’ve got a couple of choices. We can take a run up the mountain for some skiing, or hike, Hurricane Watch

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or go out on the lake, or do a little riding. What’s your poison?”

”Well.” Kerry steered her up the steps to their cabin. ”I think we’d better give your knee a rest from skiing.” She patted the body part in question. ”And that kinda goes for hiking too. So maybe we can ride in the morning, and go out on the lake in the afternoon?”

That would work. Dar opened the door and exhaled. ”Sounds good to me.” She’d always mostly gone on solitary hikes up here to small caves just up range for some pensive solitude. It would be strange to have Kerry along.

They went inside and Dar spent a few minutes in the bathroom before coming out to find Kerry efficiently stacking wood in the fireplace. ”Whatcha doing?”

On one knee, Kerry turned and regarded her. ”Making a fire.” She put another log in place, then tucked some tinder inside it. ”I know that’s an alien concept for you, Dar, but it can be very cozy.”

”It’s not alien,” Dar protested. ”I’ve been outside Miami, remember?” She studied what Kerry was doing. ”I’ve just never had to actually, um...” She waved her hands a bit descriptively. ”Make one.”

She knelt. ”What’s that?”

”Moss.” Kerry packed it between the logs. ”It makes the logs burn.”

She looked around. ”Do you see any matches?”

”Um, no, but I think you use this.” Dar took down a flint and striker from over the mantel, and offered it to her. ”Right?”

Kerry giggled. ”Not in this century, Dar.” She stood, and put her hands on her hips. ”I think I’ve got some, hey!”

Dar had studied the items, then cocked her head, and positioned the striker, smacking the flint against it with devastating efficiency, and sending a shower of sparks down onto the neatly packed tinder. It obligingly caught fire, and started to burn, little tendrils of smoke wafting up. Dar spread her hands out, and looked insufferably pleased with herself. ”Like that?”

”Son of a bitch.” Kerry marveled. ”I’ve never seen a twentieth century human being actually do that before.” She regarded her boss.

”What other hidden skills do you have?”

Dar chuckled, returning the tools to their place, and getting out of the way as Kerry gently blew on the flames, and shepherded them into a crackling blaze. It was nice, she decided, regarding the flickering light and holding her hands out to the warmth as it grew. Behind her there was a low couch, covered in colorful throws, and she settled into one corner. She wriggled into a comfortable spot and looked up as Kerry joined her, the blonde woman tucking one leg under her as she seated herself.

They both watched the fire grow, in a friendly silence that was broken when Kerry shifted, taking a breath and studying her hands, before she looked up at Dar. ”I think we’re going to have fun this weekend,” she started, tentatively, planning her words with care.

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A smile pulled Dar’s lips. ”I hope so. It’s been a long week, huh?”

”Yes, yes it has,” her lover agreed quietly. ”A lot’s happened.”

”Mm,” a very soft murmur.

”I want to have a fun weekend. I think we both need it.” Kerry felt the words getting out of her control a little. ”I mean, well. I’ve got something I wanted to talk to you about before we... I...” She stopped, sensing something, and looked up, seeing an unguarded look of quickly veiled fear in Dar’s eyes. Her train of thought derailed in reflex. ”Why do you do that?” she asked, instead.

”Do what?” Dar replied, with forced nonchalance.

”Expect the worst all the time?” Kerry asked.

A quick head shake. ”I don’t. What do you mean?”

”You do. I saw it in your face just then. You don’t know what I’m going to tell you, but you think it’s something bad. Why, Dar?” Kerry asked, very gently. ”Have I done something that makes you worry about that?”

Dar looked trapped. She turned her head and knitted her fingers, long digits twisting around each other in upset. She hadn’t expected Kerry to ask. Not like this, not...

Not so soon. ”I...you didn’t do anything, Kerry,” she finally muttered. ”It’s my hang-up. It has nothing to do with you.”

”Of course it does.” Kerry felt her way gingerly, putting a casual hand on Dar’s knee. ”If it’s part of you, it has everything to do with me.” She could sense Dar withdrawing and the dark haired woman exhaled unhappily, and folded her arms, tucking her hands against her sides. ”Please talk to me,” she asked, simply. ”I want to understand. I don’t want to hurt you.”

It took a long

moment, as Dar stared into the flames, their flickering light outlining her sharply planed features in exotic detail.

Then she apparently made a decision, as she nodded slightly. Her head turned, and the ambered blue eyes regarded Kerry seriously. ”There’s no really simple answer to that, I guess.” She sighed. ”I’m not very good at discussing myself. I try not to think about why I do what I do most of the time, it just gets too strange.”

”Mm,” Kerry murmured encouragingly, hoping by the time Dar finished telling her whatever it was, she’d have the guts to go ahead with her own issue.

”I guess you know I haven’t been really successful in relationships,” Dar continued, awkwardly. ”I don’t know, it’s probably my fault. I get so driven. I get so caught up in work, and...” She stopped, and shrugged a little. ”Anyway, I was in my senior year at college. I’d just figured out my orientation. That was a shock.” She exchanged grim little smiles with Kerry. ”At any rate, I don’t know, I guess I must have been a dreamer when I was a kid, always expecting things to be like the books. I guess I...” She stopped, trying to find words.

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Kerry just stroked her leg, gently.

”I, um, I guess I fell in love.” Dar said it as thought she wasn’t sure.

”And, I was this idealistic kid, and I’d read about fairy tales. Mostly, I guess I thought that’s what it was going to be like. I threw everything I had into it. I figured I’d found my future.” She thought back to that golden fall wistfully. ”I remember being deliriously happy.” A pause.

”Stupid. I know.”

Kerry’s eyes closed in empathic understanding.

”Anyway, I um, it went along great for a while. She was older than I was, really pretty successful in school. I couldn’t believe it. I felt like I belonged to something, to someone for the first time ever.” Dar’s voice was gentle, almost abstract. ”I figured she felt the same way I did, so one day, I remember it was a Saturday, we were supposed to go to the movies.”

Kerry picked up a walnut from the dish, and fingered it, her body tensing against what she knew was coming. ”Yeah?”

Dar shrugged. ”I told her how I felt, how I wanted to spend my life with her.”

Kerry looked up, reading a long lost pain in her lover’s face.

”And?”

The answer was almost spoken casually. ”She laughed.”

The sharp crack startled them both, making Dar jump a little. She stared at Kerry, who blinked, and looked at her hand, where shards of walnut were tumbling down. She opened her clenched fist to reveal the cracked nut and sighed. ”Sorry.”

A tense little smile caught Dar’s lips. ”Anyway, she proceeded to tell me just how deficient I was in all aspects, and how she wouldn’t have been caught dead with me at any place other than one of our local pool halls.” Dar looked down at her hands. ”She said I was

unsophisticated, which I was, and uncultured, which was also true, and that I’d never have a relationship based on anything other than mutual bed sports because I just wasn’t emotionally capable of it.” This last with a wry grimace. ”And she was right.”

”She was not,” Kerry shot back angrily. ”She was a stuck up piece of horse’s ass without the sense that god gave a dead hedgehog, Dar.”

The taller woman laughed gently. ”I know that, now,” Dar stated softly. ”But the kid I was then didn’t.” She looked lost, and very bleak.

”And I believed her. I think some parts of me still do,” She admitted lowly. ”So that’s where that reaction comes from, Kerry. There is a part of me that remembers what she said, and what she told me about nothing being permanent, and how people really just use each other until they’re ready to move on.”

A pause. ”I guess intellectually I know better, but emotionally, I’m still waiting for the other shoe to fall,” she finished, regarding the flames quietly. She decided she wouldn’t tell Kerry about the little prayer she said every night, as they were falling asleep. ”So, what’s 224

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bugging you?”she asked, quietly.

At least she talks about it, Dar mused. At least she’ll give me a chance to try and fix things, if that’s what’s wrong. She watched Kerry pluck at her sleeve, and noticed the slight tremor in her hands. If it’s that simple.

”Dar.” Kerry picked up her hand, feeling the chill in it, and kissed it gently. ”I guess that brings me to my little problem.” She cleared her throat nervously. ”I, um, I’ve been really thinking about things, and about what I, about what I need in order for me to live my life, I guess.”

Dar gazed at her, with an open, haunted expression. ”Yeah?” Her voice cracked, and she wondered what was coming.

”And, see, I’ve got this—I’m not really sure what you would call it—maybe it was the way I was brought up. I dont really know.” She sucked in a breath again. ”God, I’m having such a problem with this. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. You’d think I could just spit it out.”

She stood, and paced back and forth, visibly trying to relax. ”Okay.”

She turned and saw blue eyes round with apprehension. ”Oh Dar, don'’t look at me like that. You’d think I was going to tell you I was a cross dresser, or something.”

It broke the tension, and Dar muffled a relieved laugh. ”Sorry, but the way you’re pacing, Jesus, Kerry, you’re putting me all in knots just watching you. What is it?” She swallowed once. ”I thought maybe, I thought you were maybe still mad about last week, or—”

”Last we...oh.” Kerry exhaled, thinking about that. ”Do you know what I was upset about?” she asked, seriously. ”You didn’t ask me.”

Dar blinked. ”Didn’t ask you. About what?”

”You quit. You just quit, and you did it because of me, and you didn’t ask me about that,” Kerry told her, poking her in the chest with each word. ”That pissed me off.”

”It did?”

”Yeah, it sure did,” Kerry assured her. ”We’re partners, right?”

A nod.

”Stuff you do affects me, Dar, and that surely affected me. I should have had a part in the decision,” Kerry told her. ”Or, at least you could have given me a chance to try and talk you out of it.”

Dar remained silent, thinking about her lover’s words. Bringing Kerry into the decision had truthfully never even crossed her mind.

She’d considered it hers to make, just like it had always been every time before. It was her job, and her career, after all, right? She couldn’t be expected to make decisions by committee, even by as close, and as intimate a committee between herself and Kerry.

That would be unthinkable. She looked up at the serious green eyes regarding her. ”It was a spur of the moment decision, Kerry. I had the facts, I knew my options, and I made it.” She watched the hint of disappointment color Kerry’s gaze. ”I can’t guarantee I won’t do the same thing again, given the same circumstances.” She paused a Hurricane Watch

225

moment, then exhaled. ”But I’ll try to keep in mind that I have a responsibility to you, and that you’ve got a right to a say in what happens to me.” Another pause. ”To us.”

I can live with that, for now. Kerry decided. ”Okay.” She rearranged the unruly hair scattered over Dar’s forehead. ”That’s hard for you, isn’t it?”

Dar nodded. ”Very.” She exhaled. ”But I’ll try.” A pause. ”So, was that what was bothering you?”

”Um, no.” Kerry stopped and turned, facing her. Now or never, just suck it up, Kerry, and do it! She hesitated, then she took two steps forward and knelt at Dar’s feet, resting one hand on Dar’s knee for balance. ”I have this thing about commitment.”

A double thump of the heart. Dar’s eyes scanned her face alertly, then a brow edged up a little. ”You do?” she murmured softly. ”Um, I mean, well, yeah. I know you’re a very, um, you seem to be a very loyal and committed kind of per... Kerry, what exactly is this about? Just level with me.”

Kerry scratched her jaw. ”Um.” Now that she was right down to it, the whole thing started to seem really silly to her and she hesitated, torn between continuing and just... ”This is going to sound maybe a little crazy to you,” she temporized. ”And, I just want you to know it’s just something that I...” She stopped, and dug in her pocket, pulling something out and focusing her attention on the tiny, embroidered fir trees that were dancing across Dar’s chest. ”Okay, look.” She put her closed fist against Dar’s stomach, still staring intently at her sweater. ”I tried to find a way just to let you know how important you are to me, and how important our relationship is to me.”

”Okay,” Dar responded, obviously deeply at sea. ”Well, Kerry, it’s very important to me, too. I hope you know that. It’s changed my whole life.”Kerry regarded the sweater. ”Is it a good change?” she whispered.

Long fingers gently grasped her chin and tilted her head back, so that she had no choice but to meet Dar’s now very serious eyes. ”Is that an honest question?” Dar replied. ”I hope not. I hope you know the answer to that already.” She paused. ”Yes, it’s been the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Kerry managed a nod. ”Good,” she stammered softly, folding Dar’s fingers around the small box she’d taken from her pocket. ”Because for me, it’s this all my life thing and I want you to know that. I want you to understand that even if we can’t go into a clerk’s office and say this, I want this to be forever Dar, that whole in sickness and in heath, for richer and for poorer, in good times, and bad, and have death never part us.” Her words fell into a shocked silence. ”Kind of thing.” A long pause. ”Okay?”

Well. That was the stupidest proposal in the history of the lesbian world, wasn’t it? Maybe I should have downloaded those practice scripts 226

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from the Internet. She eyed her lover unhappily.

There was a soft, almost incoherent sound as Dar started breathing again. ”K.” Her voice disappeared into a soundless squeak, and she self-consciously cleared her throat and tried again. ”K...Kerry did...did you just...” Another sucking in of air, ”p...propose to me?”

Kerry chewed her lip, trying desperately to gauge the response.

”Um, yeah, I did.” She glanced down. ”On the bended knee thing and all.” At least she realized that’s what it was. There’s a point, Kerry. She watched her lover’s face trying to process several different emotions at once. ”I...what I really wanted you to know, Dar is that...you’re not going to roll over one morning and find me not there.”

Dar very slowly lifted a hand and slid it across Kerry’s cheek, cupping the back of her head in an almost hesitant gentleness. ”I’m not sure what in the hell I ever did to deserve this, but I can’t think of any single thing in the world that would make me happier than to accept it.”

She pulled Kerry towards her. ”C’mere.” She wrapped her arms around the utterly relieved woman, who practically climbed up into her lap and threw a bear hug around her. ”You know you didn’t have to do that.”

”Yes, I did,” Kerry mumbled into the wool of her sweater. ”Yes, I did, because I want you to understand you’re stuck with me, Dar.

You’re not going to be able to get rid of me, okay? Not unless you, I don’t know, toss me off a cliff or something.”

Dar let out a pained laugh, trying to ignore the tear that tracked its way down her face. ”There aren’t any cliffs in Miami, Kerry,” she replied softly. ”But if there were and you fell, I’d jump right off after you.” She cradled the younger woman’s head, stroking her hair and pressing her cheek against its softness. ”Thank god you had the guts to do this. It would have taken me either half a lifetime, or half a bottle to have done it.”

Kerry peeked up at her, seeing the dampness glinting in the firelight. ”Really?”

A hesitant nod. ”I made myself a promise that I’d never let myself risk what I felt when I was that poor, stupid kid back then ever again.”

Another tear spilled out. ”I never realized that when it happened, I wouldn’t have a choice.” Dar regarded her wistfully. ”I’ve never been so scared in my life.”

Kerry gently wiped away the tears, feeling a sense of almost overwhelming relief go through her. It was what she’d been scared of, that Dar wouldn’t, or couldn’t allow herself to accept the risk of the commitment Kerry was offering. But maybe she was right; maybe she didn’t even have a choice.

Maybe Kerry didn’t either.

She wasn’t sure she wanted one. ”Are you going to even look at it?”

she asked, shyly. ”It took me forever to pick out. I kinda wanted one like that old one I have, but they don’t make those anymore.”

Dar slipped her hand around in front of her and offered it. ”Open?”

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Kerry leaned against her, her legs sprawled over Dar’s, as she sat quietly in her lap. ”Okay.” She took the box and opened it, watching Dar’s eyes pick up the glints of the fire off the ring. ”It was kinda, I mean you’re sort of tough to pick a ring out for, you know that?”

Dar gazed at the item, her eyes following the Celtic interlace that surrounded a square cut, understated diamond. ”It’s beautiful,” she managed to get out. ”Dear god, Kerry. You didn’t have to, that must have cost a...”

”I have no idea,” Kerry replied, simply. ”I didn’t look at the prices, and it hasn’t hit my credit card statement yet.”

Dar stared at her, her jaw dropping a little.

”Well, it was less than the card’s limit, Dar,” she replied, putting a finger on her lover’s chin and closing her mouth. ”Stop looking like I bought Pro Player stadium.”

”W...what was the limit on that card?” Dar spluttered. ”Good grief.”

”Um.” Kerry was enjoying herself, now that she knew Dar’s feelings. ”Well, I don’t really know. It might have been the platinum. I’ll have to check.” She almost giggled when the blue eyes widened even further. ”Oh, calm down.” She leaned over and gave Dar a light kiss on the lips. ”It wasn’t that bad.” A pause, while a hesitant smile claimed Dar’s mouth. ”I think.”

”Kerry.” Dar realized she was being tweaked. ”Well,” she drawled softly. ”At least you won’t have anything to say when I give you yours, then.” A slow, sexy smile appeared. ”Because I didn’t look at price tags either, but I know I got a bouquet of twenty four red roses from the guy who sold it to me at the office the next day.”

Kerry’s mouth dropped open. ”Uh.” She glanced up guiltily. ”So that’s where those came from.”

”Yeah, I guess he—” Dar stopped and stared closely at her lover, who was showing a slow flush up along her neck. ”Were you wondering?”

Kerry didn’t know where to look, so she just dropped her head and didn't answer.

”Kerrison,” the gentle voice recalled her, and she peeked up, reluctantly. ”You could have asked me.” She paused. “Though explaining them would have been a little tough, now that I think about it.” Kerry sighed. ”Jealousy is a very embarrassing, not to mention generally icky emotion,” she admitted. ”I wasn’t very proud of how I felt.”Dar lifted their linked hands, and brushed her lips across Kerry’s knuckles. ”No, I know, but...” She rubbed the unresisting hand against her cheek. ”It’s very flattering,” she offered. ”From my perspective, I mean.”

Kerry’s eyes softened and misted over. ”So you were thinking of 228

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making this more formal, huh?”

Dar dropped her gaze, her fingers tracing a light, idle pattern ”I have this thing about commitment, too,” she finally answered, her throat working. ”I think I discovered I really like being a part of someone else’s life.” She paused, then indicated her carry sack. ”Hand me that?”

Kerry handed it over, watching her as she dug inside and pulled out a small, velvet bag. ”You carry it,” she stumbled. ”With you?”

Dar stared at the bag, then looked up and nodded. ”Yeah. If I ever found the courage to do it I wanted to be ready.” She held out her hand.

”Go on,” she added, simply. ”I’m not very good at picking things out for other people. Shopping for this was an interesting experience.”

Kerry took the bag, startled a little at its weight, and opened the velvet cord, shaking the bag gently over her hand until a ring tumbled out. The room went very still. ”Oh,” Kerry sighed softly, finding it hard to catch her breath. It was so pretty. It sat in her hand, winking at her, a sturdy, yet elegant band which cupped up into a rose, whose delicate petals framed a brilliant, round cut diamond stone. She tipped it up a little and looked at the inner band, where she spotted some engraving.

”Dar, wh...” She looked up as the skin under her arm grew very warm, and she was shocked to see the profound blush on her lover's face. The blue eyes were fixed firmly on the fire, and Dar’s nostrils were flared slightly. She looked back down at the ring, then bent her head closer.

Yours Forever.

With the words, something clicked home in Kerry’s awareness with a certainty that made her lightheaded. ”Dar,” she managed to whisper.

”Yes,” the response was clearly, and precisely enunciated.

”I think I’m going to pass out.” Kerry felt a strong grip take hold of her, and she let herself go limp, one hand closing loosely over the ring.

She floated in a pleasant haze for a moment, hearing in the back of her mind a soft, affectionate chuckle. ”That is so beautiful.”

”The ring?” Dar murmured, into her nearby ear.

”The words,” Kerry corrected her.

”Oh.”

”The ring’s gorgeous too.”

”So, you like it?” Dar asked, hopefully.

“I love it.” Kerry closed her eyes and buried her face into Dar’s shoulder. “But not nearly as much as I love you.”